Birthright
by kmiko
Summary: A one shot, but a long one, pun intended. It continues right after Soi Fong’s confrontation with Yoruichi and her subsequent meltdown. What transpires after Soi Fong’s hate dissipates in the face of Yoruichi’s continued dominion over her? Soi Fong's POV.


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except for one (you will know which one). All hail Kubo Noriaki (aka Kubo Tite), creator of the Bleach universe and its wonderful characters.

Foreword:

It has been a while since I have been inspired to write a fanfic, but the appearance of Soi Fong in Bleach really fired my imagination. For one, her name seems to be pronounced in the Chinese fashion rather than Japanese. The literal meaning of her codename in kanji is "shattering bee". In Mandarin that is pronounced as Sui Feng, but Cantonese might be closer with Seoi Fung. Though similar on a superficial level, both languages (Japanese and Chinese) tend to have subtle differences in interpretation, so there might be a deeper meaning to her inherited codename that I am not aware of.

This story continues right after Soi Fong's confrontation with Yoruichi and her subsequent meltdown. I just have to say that Tomoko Kawakami, Soi Fong's seiyu (voice actress), was excellent, that last wail in the anime was heart wrenching. Though plot-wise, the anime followed the manga very closely for this, the Soul Society arc, there are slight differences in dialogue and character/relationship depiction, as well as the omission or addition of certain scenes.

Soi Fong's character and her relationship with Yoruichi were more fleshed out in the anime, but the manga shed more light on Soi Fong's background. For the purpose of this piece of fan fiction, I am drawing details and conclusions from both sources since the differences largely compliment instead of contradict. But where the sequence or rendering of events differ, I chose to err on the side of the manga. Enjoy.

**Birthright**

"You've become stronger since we last parted."

The irony of it pierced the fog of despair that had engulfed her. She had never felt more vulnerable in her life. The seething rage that had been her constant companion for the past century was melting away, leaving only the soul-searing anguish behind. Sobs racked her body as long-suppressed emotions boiled over, released from the crushing burden of bitterness and resentment.

It was disbelief, she remembered. The numbing shock that had robbed her of all thought, all motion, as she stood in that empty room a hundred years ago. Comprehension dawned sluggishly but anger had followed swiftly on its heels, drenching her world in harsh fury. Contempt for weakness. Wrath at disloyalty. Displeasure upon frivolity. That was all she had felt in the intervening years.

So where was this shattering grief coming from? This copious well of sorrow? In that instant, she understood. A century afore, her battle honed instincts had reacted to the danger that empty room represented. The anger that had flooded her mind was a visceral defence against the desolation of devastating loss. A loss she would not have survived otherwise. For the past hundred years, all traces of sentiment within her had been ruthlessly crushed beneath the punitive protection of savage hostility.

But finding herself in the overwhelming presence of her former commander, Soi Fong was rendered powerless, stripped of even the veneer of animosity that had shielded her heart all these years. Her hidden pain was suddenly exposed to the naked eye, her soul laid bare for the other woman's inspection.

The tears were starting to slow, her weeping quieten. She was utterly spent and acutely aware of the dark woman hunkered down a polite distance away. She was grateful for the courtesy, certain that she could not have borne solicitousness. As it was, the torrent of emotions that ripped through her from just being in such close proximity to the lady was almost too painful to endure.

Unable to stomach her own weakness anymore, Soi Fong feebly pushed herself to her knees and rested wearily on her haunches. No more running away, she lectured herself sternly. It was time to end this wretched confrontation, pick up the shards of her broken life and move forward. Steeling herself, the petite captain proudly raised her head, only to be caught in the golden depths of achingly familiar topaz eyes.

Her breath hitched and she felt her heart clench painfully in her chest. It had always been thus. Guarding or observing from a distance, Soi Fong was the consummate warrior, swift, strong and deadly. But one glance from those wise knowing eyes, that flashing smile, the low timbre of kind words, and she was undone. Her limbs trembled, her heart fluttered, her wits scattered. It was frightening, the power the older woman still had over her.

When she was accepted into the Executive Militia, she had been filled with a fierce joy. Entry into the first branch of the Covert Operations Division was not just a familial obligation. It was her ambition, her dream. She drove herself mercilessly, consumed by the desire to prove herself worthy of the position. It was the highest honour to serve the commander. The deepest disgrace to fail her. As a nameless soldier in the Executive Militia, she was competent and composed, certain of her place and abilities. But once singled out to be in the lady's personal guard, Soi Fong had been thrown into perpetual turmoil.

Able to battle by her side, sharing their meals, being on the receiving end of the lady's unalloyed attention, dazed with wonder at seeing herself reflected in laughing honey eyes. It was intoxicating to be noticed by the commander, her efforts acknowledged and approved. But such close contact only made her more conscious of the lady's supremacy. The bliss she felt had been tempered by bouts of despondency over her perceived inadequacy and unworthiness.

But overlaying it all was the dizzying awareness that the lady was pleased with her. It was the greatest happiness she knew. Kneeling once more before the older woman, Soi Fong felt the familiar sensation of exhilaration warring with anxiety rising beneath her breast. She no longer tried to deny or fight the joy that bubbled from the depths of her soul. Her lady had returned and the gapping void in her life was now overflowing with jubilation. She was whole again.

"Yoruichi-sama."

The deferential appellation rolled off her tongue easily. She was surprised at how steady her voice sounded. Bowing her head in apology, Soi Fong continued softly, "This might feel a little uncomfortable."

Centring her power on the zanpakutou that encased her hand, she used Suzumebachi to draw back the venom swirling within the body crouched before her. Dark tapered fingers touched the fading black wings that had covered the orange-clad chest as the older woman intoned solemnly, "Thank you."

Feeling Suzumebachi absorb the last drop of poison, Soi Fong's hand trembled as she was confronted with the full horror of her actions. With her very hand she had poured this vicious fluid into the lady's body. Unforgivable.

"I would not have allowed you to kill me."

The words sliced open her heart. She raised stricken eyes to meet intense topaz ones that drilled right into her soul.

"You've grown strong, Soi Fong. So very strong. I was taken by surprise. It might have been impossible to avoid your attacks altogether, but you would not have been able to strike me at the same spot twice. I am still able to do that much."

Even after all these years, the lady always knew the exact words that she needed to hear at any given moment. To be able to recognise her strength and absolve her guilt so easily, Soi Fong surrendered to the truth that laid buried in her heart. Yoruichi-sama was truly her mistress.

"Tenteikuura! Binding successful. Captains, Vice-Captains and temporary Vice-Captains of the Gotei Thirteen…and...the ryoka, this is Vice-Captain Kotetsu Isane of the Fourth Division speaking."

Both women immediately rose to their feet and peered into the distance, instinctively trying to determine the source and direction of the sudden broadcast.

"An emergency situation has occurred. This emergency transmission is under the authority of Captain Unohana of the Fourth Division and myself, Kotetsu Isane. Please listen carefully. Everything I'm about to say is true."

Soi Fong listened in disbelief as Isane related the details of Aizen's treachery. The members of the Central Forty Six Chambers murdered. Aizen alive and issuing orders in their stead. The Gotei Thirteen manipulated by the hypnotic powers of Aizen's zanpakutou, Kyouka Suigetsu. Ichimaru and Tousen in cahoots with him. Tousen! Hinamori stabbed. Hitsugaya defeated.

She had been so focussed on confronting her former commander that she had paid little attention to the other battles erupting within the Seireitei. Concentrating on the scattered spiritual spikes, she could tell that all the Captains and Vice-Captains had released their reiatsu and in that dense soup of spiritual energy she was able to identify the distinctive signature of the supposedly deceased captain of the Fifth Division.

Aizen was indeed alive. Near him hovered the reiatsu of Ichimaru and Tousen. Isane had been speaking the truth. Her mind reeled from the enormity of the deception. What was the purpose of such duplicity? Glancing at the woman standing beside her, Soi Fong noted that the lady looked grim but unsurprised. Yoruichi-sama had known about this, or at least had an inkling of what was afoot. Was this the reason for her return?

The Shihouin token on that ryoka's cloak. The Shihouin crest on the shield Ukitake had brought to the execution grounds. Yoruichi-sama was working to prevent Kuchiki Rukia's execution. An execution sentence that was a lie perpetuated by Aizen.

"Why Kuchiki Rukia?"

The question slipped out before she could think better of it. It was not her place to question the lady. But Yoruichi-sama gave her a look of approval, as if proud that she managed to ferret out the root of the issue so quickly.

"It appears that Aizen Sousuke is seeking to obtain hollow powers. Buried in the depths of Rukia's soul is Hougyoku, an orb that can bridge the gap between the essence of shinigami and hollow. He must have decided that using the Soukyoku was the best way to retrieve the orb."

"Hougyoku? How could such a dangerous object exist…"

Soi Fong trailed off as she realised the truth. As supreme commander of the Covert Operations Division and a captain of the Gotei Thirteen, it was impossible that she would not have come across some mention of the existence of such a powerful item. Unless it had not existed at all until recent times. Someone had created and hidden it away from prying eyes. And she knew the person most capable of such a feat. Urahara Kisuke again. Was this the real reason for his exile?

A sudden burst of reiatsu jolted her from her thoughts. Vice-Captain Abarai had just unleashed his zanpakutou. He had spirited the captive Kuchiki away but his spiritual energy was coming from the direction of Soukyoku Hill, where Aizen and his cohorts were closing in. Exchanging an alarmed glance with Yoruichi-sama, the two immediately raced towards the execution grounds. Their battle had taken them too far from the hill, they might not make it in time.

The execution grounds, once they were within sight of it, looked like a battlefield. Bloodied bodies littered the flat apex of the hill. Abarai and the orange-haired ryoka lying in the dirt. Komamura's huge frame supine on the ground. The Kuchiki siblings huddled on the edge of the overhang, Rukia's slight figure defiantly trying to shield a battered Byakuya from the white-robed figure looming over them. Dismissing both Tousen and Ichimaru, Soi Fong headed straight for Aizen, knowing intuitively that the other woman was going to do the same. They fell seamlessly in step with each other.

Yoruichi-sama dived low at a terrifying speed, slamming the sword that Aizen was about to draw back into its scabbard. Soi Fong leapt into the air and unsheathed her zanpakutou, holding the edge of her blade to the former captain's throat.

"Such a nostalgic countenance," Aizen said bemusedly to Yoruichi-sama.

"Don't move," the dark woman warned, "If you move a muscle…"

"You'll lose your head," Soi Fong growled. How dare he take them lightly.

"I see," Aizen murmured and smiled.

Soi Fong hackles rose at his nonchalance. What was he planning? A huge crash was her answer. She frowned at the sight of three lumbering figures trampling the buildings at the foot of the hill. All guardians of the gates to the Seireitei. Were they traitors too? Left unchecked, they would wreck untold damage on property and lives.

"What will you do now? Not even you two can come after me while fighting them at the same time…" the captive man taunted.

The guardians were incredibly strong but defeating them would not be a problem for her. However, Aizen was the more dangerous foe and she was unwilling to leave Yoruichi-sama to deal with him alone. Especially not with Ichimaru and Tousen still standing on the sidelines, not raising a hand to help their leader. Were they afraid that Aizen would be harmed if they interfered?

A howl drifted on the wind, heralding the dramatic arrival of Shiba Kuukaku, who was perched on the immense shoulder of Ikkanzaka Jidanbo. As the two handily dispatched the rampaging gate guardians, Soi Fong switched her attention to Ichimaru, who was finally making a move. A flash of orange and pink and Matsumoto had the man under arrest. Would the vice-captain be able to hold him? Besides the difference in power, the two were rumoured to be friends and maybe even more.

In an instance, the balance of power shifted. The rest of the captains and vice-captains have arrived. All except the Fourth, Eleventh and Twelve Divisions were represented. Hisagi had his own captain under arrest. Kira was nowhere to be seen. Did Ichimaru turn him as well?

"It's over," Yoruichi-sama stated. A smirk. Golden eyes narrowed.

"What's so funny?" the lady asked darkly.

"I apologise, but it's time," Aizen announced.

"Get back, Soi Fong!"

Automatically obeying the command, the petite commander released her hold on Aizen and leapt away. She narrowly escaped getting caught in a shaft of energy so intense that it manifested itself as a pillar of light encasing Aizen. The beam ripped through the sky and huge claws reached past the tear in the blue dome overhead to reveal the masked visages of a multitude of Menos Grande.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware that Ichimaru and Tousen were similarly encased but her attention was fixed on the floating figure before her. Aizen was literally being sucked into Hueco Mundo. Soi Fong listened incredulously as Tousen justified his actions to an enraged Komamura and Aizen spoke of being a God. These were the deeds of the delusional. They were insane.

She was jarred out of her stupefaction by a glimpse of orange in her peripheral vision. The Goddess of Flash was on the move, attempting to sneak away in the chaotic aftermath of Aizen's dramatic departure. Ice gripped her heart. Yoruichi-sama was leaving her. Without saying a word. Again. She watched numbly as the dark woman stealthily crossed the execution grounds and quietly slipped over the edge, disappearing from her sight.

Shifting her gaze towards the foot of the hill, her suspicions were confirmed when a tall figure in orange and black appeared beside the roughly clad Shiba Kuukaku. Seeing the two women together forcibly brought her back to a time long past. It was shortly after she had joined the personal bodyguard detail of the Supreme Commander. Yoruichi-sama had been presiding over one of her family's numerous functions.

Kneeling unobtrusively in a corner, close enough to observe but not to intrude, Soi Fong had watched the other nobles bow and scrap before her mistress, losing their composure and retreating into the security of formal obeisance. She sympathised with them, knowing that in their place, she would be making an even greater fool of herself. For Yoruichi-sama, in ceremonial attire, was positively imperial. Her short, normally wind-blown hair was elegantly coiffed, her athletic body clad in rich robes of gold and white that brought out the amber highlights in her eyes and contrasted exquisitely with her dark skin.

She remembered that there was a stir when the herald announced the arrival of a representative from another equally illustrious house. The sea of courtiers parted to reveal a statuesque woman garbed in sombre hues of emerald and black, the green material several shades darker than the vibrant teal of her eyes. A long fall of raven hair draped her graceful figure like silk, framing flawless alabaster skin and sharp features. She glided across the hall, oblivious to the stares directed her way, her attention fixed on Yoruichi-sama, who had turned to greet the new arrival.

Bending regally at the waist, the pale woman presented herself before her host. Yoruichi-sama returned a similarly deep bow. It was a meeting of equals. As they exchanged pleasantries, Soi Fong felt her world tilt precariously on its axis. It was the first time she had seen the Lady Shiba and the small guard was glad that she was already crouched on the ground. She doubted her legs would have supported her at that moment.

As a soldier in the Covert Operations Division, her interaction with the rest of Soul Society was limited to the hunting down of criminals and monsters, all base creatures she was happy to dispatch so that her commander would not have to dirty her hands going after them. The Executive Militia resembled a pack of lone wolves that just happened to have the same goal, each member single-mindedly devoted to following the orders of the Supreme Commander.

She had a grudging respect for a very few of her fellow militia members but even the very best of them could not compare to Yoruichi-sama, no one could even come close. But as she knelt in her corner observing the two heiresses, she became aware for the first time that her mistress belonged to a different world. Here was a lady who rivalled the Supreme Commander in presence and prestige, someone who effortlessly wielded the same compelling confidence and authority. Suddenly Yoruichi-sama had seemed impossibly distant, the gap between them widening beyond the corporeal confines of the hall.

As she became a full-fledged member of the Supreme Commander's personal guard detail, Soi Fong was brought into greater contact with impressive personages within and beyond the Gotei Thirteen. Each new meeting only reinforced her growing belief that the world the commander inhabited was unattainable to her. But the revelation had not sent her into despair, instead she had felt lucky, so incredibly lucky that Yoruichi-sama had deigned to descend from her exalted station and mingle with her subjects.

Soi Fong was determined to repay her mistress for being allowed the privilege of serving someone so eminent. Nothing was too onerous for her, nothing too painful, nothing too challenging, if it was in Yoruichi-sama's service.

The second time Soi Fong saw Lady Shiba, she had not recognised the princess. They were on the training field and Yoruichi-sama was giving her personal guards a healthy workout. Black clad figures were collapsed on the ground, knocked out or too winded to move. Soi Fong had managed to hold her own so far but her limbs felt like stone and it was all she could do to hold her arms up before her in a defensive pose. Her breath came in shallow spurts, wheezing painfully in her chest and she felt light-headed from the last blow that she had not been able to fully deflect.

The commander, on the other hand, had not even broken a sweat. Adopting a light limber stance, long toned arms held loosely at her sides, Yoruichi-sama was eyeing her lazily, a faint smile on her lips. Soi Fong was reminded of a cat leisurely playing with its captive prey and she frowned as she realised that she was the mouse.

A sudden rush of air was her only warning. Soi Fong could only watch in shock as Yoruichi-sama barely managed to block an attack so swift that it only registered as a blur. The commander flipped into the air to dodge a follow-up punch and promptly lashed out with a powerful kick that the assailant deftly parried and countered. The two flew over the training grounds in a rapid exchange of strikes that Soi Fong could barely follow with her eyes. Then as abruptly as it had started, the fight ended.

The two combatants stood facing each other, looking like opposite sides of a single coin. Both tall and statuesque, but one was voluptuous where the other was sinewy, light where the other was dark, wild where the other was languid. One had fierce feral eyes and a wolfish grin that gave her a distinctly vulpine look. The other had narrowed amused eyes and a slow smile that made her seem like a large black feline.

"Kuukaku. Heh, what a splendid greeting, what are you doing in my neck of the woods?"

"Yo! Was paying Aniki a visit and decided to drop by."

It took a moment for realisation to sink in. Kuukaku. The woman with the flashy white cloak and the wild roughly tied hair was Shiba Kuukaku, looking nothing at all like the ethereal lady that Soi Fong remembered.

"Ah…Kaien-kun, how is the old boy?" Yoruichi-sama asked, before adding in a devilish tone, "Heard that he has taken a new bird under his wing. What's the dirt on that? Is he helping Byakuya-kun keep an eye on his new sister?"

"Eh? I wouldn't know about that," Lady Shiba mused, "Though it's hard to imagine that old stick-in-the-mud asking anybody for help."

Smothering a laugh at the rude description of the aloof head of the Kuchiki clan, Yoruichi-sama chided absently, "You give Byakuya-kun too little credit. You always have."

"Maybe," the white-cloaked woman consented, "but you know how Aniki is, he has a soft spot for small cute girls." Then with a sly smile she added, "Much like you do, it would appear."

"What…" Yoruichi-sama trailed off with a chuckle. "Oh, you mean Soi Fong."

Realising with a start that the commander was signalling her to approach them, Soi Fong sprinted to her mistress's side.

"Soi Fong, this is Lady Kuukaku of the house of Shiba. Kuukaku, this is the newest member of my personal guard, Soi Fong."

"Yo, Soi Fong."

It might have been that her tired muscles were screaming for relief or that the piercing teal gaze was too intense to hold, but Soi Fong found that her legs could no longer carry her weight. Sinking to her knees, the small bodyguard bowed her head and said respectfully, "Shiba-dono."

"Woah, Yoruichi. What a polite girl you have here. I didn't think you were one to stand for such formality."

"Yeah, she's a stubborn one. But don't worry. It's early days yet, I'm confident of breaking her in."

Ears burning at the gentle teasing, Soi Fong was relieved when the two went on to other topics.

"Your collar is charred. Experimenting with new fireworks again? You letting Ganju-chan help?"

"Hah! That boy needs to toughen up, he…"

As the words washed over her, Soi Fong gingerly sat back on her haunches, grateful for the chance to rest her weary body. Kneeling in the dirt while the other two conversed over her head, she was aware of feeling the same sense of displacement that she had experienced the last time she saw the two ladies together. Though Yoruichi-sama was only a few steps away, it felt as if a vast chasm had opened up between them.

In her clan and in the Executive Militia, strength was paramount. Your strength determined your worth. Though it had not been a serious match, the recent bout demonstrated that Lady Shiba was an extremely skilled and powerful fighter, perhaps even on par with Yoruichi-sama. And Soi Fong, who was supposed to be protecting the commander, had been able to do nothing more than watch helplessly. If the attack had been real, her abilities would have counted for little in the fight.

In the face of such insurmountable superiority, her own hard-won strength had been rendered insignificant. Soi Fong had been rendered worthless. A terrible numbness had descended over her. She forced her breathing to calm and had held herself completely still. The only thought that ran through her mind at that time was that the two august ladies were speaking and someone as inconsequential as herself could not disturb them. Indeed, she must never presume to disturb them.

As Soi Fong stood on Soukyoku Hill and observed the same women conversing at the foot of the hill, she was gripped by a disorienting sense of dislocation as her mind unwittingly echoed the thoughts that had originated an eon ago. The two ladies are speaking, she must be still, she must not be noticed, she must not intrude. She stood rooted to the ground, watching bleakly as Yoruichi-sama leapt onto Ikkanzaka Jidanbou's massive shoulder. With the fallen heiress of Shiba perched on his other shoulder, the huge gate guardian set off towards Rukongai at a blistering pace.

Just before the giant and his precious cargo disappeared from sight, Yoruichi-sama turned and looked right at her. Was it her imagination? But even from that distance, she was shaken by the undeniable impact of that enigmatic golden gaze. Soi Fong thought that her heart must surely be bleeding, so intense was the pain. She wanted to laugh and cry.

She was the supreme commander of the Covert Operations Division. She was a captain of the Gotei Thirteen. But she had been so humbled by that experience all those years ago that a stray memory of Lady Shiba's mock attack could reduce her to the mindset of a lowly servant girl again. Unable to even attempt to question or chase after her betters. A servant so worthless that her mistress would abandon her twice, without even a single word of explanation.

Some of her pain must have shown on her face for two of the Fourth Division healers milling about the execution grounds stopped timidly before her.

"Are...are you hurt, Captain?" stammered a frail looking man.

She recognised him. Yamada Hanatarou, Seventh Seat of the Fourth Division. Had he not been arrested for aiding and abetting the ryoka in their bid to break Kuchiki Rukia out of prison? Though she expected him, as well as the rest who had acted to stop the execution, to be cleared of wrongdoing, this disregard for order was setting her on edge.

"I'm fine," Soi Fong snapped, "Go tend to the rest."

She watched irritably as his fright quickly overrode his concern for her well-being and he hastily bowed and backed away. However, he did not get very far as he bumped into the woman behind him. Standing a full head taller than Yamada, the slender woman sported a riot of blond curls that tumbled to her shoulders. Slender brows lowered over narrowed cerulean eyes and delicate features tightened with consternation as the female healer protested, "But Captain, you're clearly injured. Look, your shoulder is bleeding."

Soi Fong stiffened at the reminder of her recent battle with Yoruichi-sama. Her shoulder throbbed in sympathy with the agony in her heart.

"It's only a scratch. Leave me be," Soi Fong ordered coldly.

The blond looked like she was about to object but Yamada literally dragged her away, pleading desperately, "Let's go, Hiromi-kun."

Scanning her surroundings, Soi Fong saw Komamura also refusing the aid of the Fourth Division. Though in his case he looked like he could really use the help, she understood that to the Seventh Division Captain, the pain of betrayal was much sharper than physical wounds. Hisagi was standing alone, seemingly isolated from the chaos around him, still staring up into the sky. He looked lost, struggling to come to terms with his captain's hypocrisy. Matsumoto, on the other hand, was rushing around determinately, helping with the wounded. But Soi Fong had caught a glimpse of profound sadness in her light blue eyes.

Had she looked like them when Yoruichi-sama had left her the first time? With a start, she realised that she was comparing her former commander's perfidy to Aizen's. As her eyes swept the ruined landscape, she was confronted with the magnitude of Aizen's betrayal. It was on a completely different scale to Yoruichi-sama's perceived crimes.

Aizen had wrought such devastation with his treachery, stealing away important individuals from people's lives, damaging relationships beyond repair. But perhaps the most disturbing element in all this was his own betrayal. Aizen had been well-liked and his supposed death had turned friend against friend, family against family, mentor against student. His loss had been mourned and lamented. To discover that they had all been duped, that every interaction with him had been carefully orchestrated, it was too great a deception, too big a lie to accept. Even she had difficulty coming to grips with it.

And Yoruichi-sama and her cohort had been working to prevent this. Maybe even all those years ago. Her mind spun from the revelation and she found herself inexplicably on the ground. Her knees had given way. Pushing herself to a sitting position, Soi Fong wearily rested her head in her hands. Here she was, supreme commander of the Covert Operations Division, a captain of the Gotei Thirteen, knowing nothing about Aizen's manipulations. She never even suspected.

Instead it had been these ryoka from the living world who had risked their lives to rescue a recent acquaintance from death row. It had been people persecuted by the authorities who had been toiling to protect Soul Society. Shiba Kuukaku, who had turned her back on everything shinigami and all it represented. Urahara Kisuke, who had been exiled from his home on tenuous grounds. And Yoruichi-sama, who had her name and actions denounced for helping him.

Would she have been able to do the same? She thought of Abarai, who had been ready to go against the entire Gotei Thirteen to save his friend. She thought of Ukitake and Kyoraku, who had put their lives and honour on the line in order to forestall an unjust execution. She thought of Nanao, Kotetsu and Kotsubaki, who chose to side with their captains without hesitation. She thought of Hitsugaya, who had taken the initiative to confront the Central Forty Six Chambers and had almost gotten killed for his trouble. She thought of Unohana, who had been the first to detect a chink in Aizen's ruse and eventually succeeded in exposing him.

And what had she been doing all this time? She had been unforgivably self-absorbed.

Over the past century, she had only thought of her own pain, her own sense of betrayal. For Yoruichi-sama had been her world then, her entire world. But her commander had disappeared, leaving her bereft. And her world had crumbled. Vengeance took over and drove her to attain greater skills, greater knowledge, greater power. Her responsibilities mounted, her authority grew, her world expanded.

She realised how simple life had been in her youth. Her only desire, her only ambition, had been to serve Yoruichi-sama. There had been no division of loyalty to consider, no possible conflict of interest. If her mistress had turned out to be as corrupt as Aizen, if she had been in Hinamori's shoes, Soi Fong knew that she would not have questioned Yoruichi-sama's motives, only her own unworthiness. Perhaps she had done something to deserve death. Or perhaps her mistress just placed greater value on her dead instead of alive. Indeed, she would have taken the blade in her own hands and plunged it into her own body.

But now? She doubted that she would have aided even Yoruichi-sama to bring about such destruction. She had a new appreciation for the strength it must have taken for Matsumoto to oppose Ichimaru, for Komamura to confront Tousen and for Hisagi to arrest his own captain. The commander thought of Hinamori, the happiness she must have felt when her beloved captain returned from the dead. And the utter desolation she would suffer if she survived the wound.

She had always thought of Yoruichi-sama as belonging to a different world, far beyond her ken or reach. But she was wrong, so wrong. Yoruichi-sama did not belong to a _different _world, just a _bigger_ one. A much bigger one. A world of divided loyalties, of duties and obligations, of political and power struggles, of hidden agendas and passionate ideals, of malice and spite, of ambition and pride, of justice and honour, of friendship and trust, of love and wonder. In that variegated world, had her unconditional devotion been a balm to Yoruichi-sama, or just another burden her mistress had to shoulder?

Where do you hurt?

My heart. I can't breathe.

"Have you suffered internal injuries, Captain?"

It was not until she registered the formal address that Soi Fong realised that the words had been spoken aloud. Lifting her head, she saw crouched on the ground before her, the same female healer who had accosted her earlier. What had Yamada called her?

"I'm fine," Soi Fong said dismissively, automatically straightening and levelling a glare at the persistent blond. Incredibly, the blue eyes turned stormy and the healer's elegant features set in mutinous lines.

"You're obviously not fine. I won't allow you to be left unattended."

Silver eyes narrowed dangerously and Soi Fong felt her shoulders tense in anger.

"Allow?" the brunette repeated icily. The captain was one step away from striking the impertinent healer.

The other woman must have sensed that for she paled and her hands trembled. But the blond did not back down.

"Yes, allow," the healer stated in a strained voice, "As a member of the Fourteenth Advanced Relief Squad, it is my duty to care for the injured. Your well-being is my responsibility and if I choose to exercise my prerogative to ascertain your state of health, you have no right to stop me."

Soi Fong stared at the woman in shock, the bold words still ringing in her ears. She was struck by a momentous insight. As her mind settled and cleared, the captain began to notice the fear lurking in wide azure eyes, the faint tremors that raced through the slender body and the fists clenched so tight that all ten knuckles had turned white. Despite her audacious attitude, the blond was clearly fighting back terror.

"I'm truly uninjured," Soi Fong said in a gentler tone, "my wound is…not physical."

The healer gaped at her for a pregnant moment, taken aback by Soi Fong's unexpected capitulation and explanation. Then slight shoulders slumped and the defiant expression changed to chagrin. The blond looked deflated.

"At least let me tend to your shoulder," the healer insisted.

Soi Fong frowned at the other woman, but after a moment, curtly nodded her acquiesce. As the captain watched the healer examine her shoulder, she felt some remnant memories tickle the back of her brain.

"Do I know you?" Soi Fong asked suspiciously.

Giving her reluctant patient a quick glance, the blond replied carefully, "Pardon my late introduction. My name is Ayukawa Hiromi."

The image of a laughing girl with sparkling blue eyes and a cloud of golden ringlets flashed in Soi Fong's mind. She stiffened at the realisation of the other woman's identity.

"Ayukawa-dono," the commander rapped out smartly, "I apologise for my earlier rudeness. It was inexcusable."

Hiromi placed a gentle hand on the rigid shoulder and said serenely, "No apology is necessary. Here you outrank me."

Soi Fong frowned at the statement but allowed her body to relax. It seemed a lifetime ago, her extended stay at the healer's residence. The house of Ayukawa enjoyed a significantly higher standing than her own Fong clan in the ranks of Soul Society nobility. Since infancy, she had been schooled in martial and demon arts. But a servant of the august Shihouin clan was required to be skilled in more than just fighting. All children of the Fong clan would be placed in a nobler house to learn the finer arts, literature, politics, etiquette and the proper way to serve a higher-born.

She had been assigned to the house of Ayukawa and the young brunette had taken her duties there very seriously. In a few years, she would be eligible for application to the Shinigami Academy, but in the meantime, she intended to learn everything that might give her an edge to be accepted into not just the academy, but the first branch of the Covert Operations Division. Those days at the Ayukawa residence were a bit of a blur to her, but she remembered the impish girl who had seemed to delight in running her ragged.

Though a bubbly and good-humoured girl, as the youngest child and only daughter of the head of the Ayukawa clan, Hiromi had been spoiled by her doting parents and four protective brothers, and was used to getting her way. So when the new retainer from the lowly house of Fong had stoically rebuffed her overtures of friendship, the hurt girl had retaliated by giving the young servant impossible orders. Being the darling of the household, the rest of the Ayukawa family had only looked on indulgently, happy that their beloved Hiromi seemed to have found a new playmate.

Soi Fong recalled being frustrated at the contradicting commands and angry at her inability to please her interim masters. She became more withdrawn and grave, which only seemed to invite more spite and pranks. At the end of her stint in the Ayukawa household, she had been depressed at her seeming failure to learn proper servitude, but also a little relieved. As she stood at the entrance of the Ayukawa residence, thanking the head of the household and preparing to take her leave, little Hiromi had stood quietly by her father's side, round blue eyes uncommonly solemn. Soi Fong had never given the girl another thought but here she was, all grown up and a healer to boot.

"So you chose to be a shinigami," the captain said, surprised that the pampered lady would pick this occupation.

A rueful smile graced the blond's lips as she rambled, "Yes, I took an interest in becoming a shinigami. I had visions of winning glorious battles but it turned out that I did not have an aptitude for fighting. Instead, I found my calling in medicinal arts. I'm a rather good healer, I'll have you know."

"I'm sure you are," Soi Fong murmured, a little disconcerted by how friendly the other woman was behaving.

"Besides," Hiromi said with a playful smile, "this job allows me the opportunity to save stubborn warriors from themselves, ensuring that we do not lose some of Gotei Thirteen's finest. There all done."

Soi Fong shot the healer a sharp look, wondering if that remark was a jab at her, before glancing down at her unblemished shoulder. Rotating her arm carefully, the captain did not detect even a twinge of the earlier soreness.

"Thank you," Soi Fong said solemnly, as she turned her silver gaze back to the aristocratic blond.

Hiromi was surprised at the words, not just because she did not expect the brunette to be grateful for a treatment she had essentially been forced to endure, but also because the healer sensed that the captain was thanking her for more than just the medical remedy. Feeling lighter-of-heart than she had in a long time, Hiromi smiled back tearfully as she whispered, "You're welcome."

--

Soi Fong stared at the entrance in consternation. So the reports had been true after all. Surveying the surrounding landscape, she absently noted other possible points of access to the residence. The owner had a reputation of denying admittance to shinigami and an alternative approach over using the main door seemed a more logical step to take. Besides, she could not see herself walking up to those huge stone arms and meekly ask to be let in.

There, just off the cleared area surrounding the towering cylindrical shaft was a secluded glade, partially hidden by cherry blossom trees. It seemed a good place to observe the comings and goings of the house. As she neared the glade, she sensed that it was occupied. Her heart sped up at the thought that Yoruichi-sama might be there and she used shunpo to fly through the forest canopy.

Dropping to the ground at the edge of the open space, all it took was a glance for her to realise that Yoruichi-sama was not part of the group gathered in the middle of the glade. She silently cursed her own eagerness to see her mistress again. It made her careless and her presence had already been noted. She contemplated just leaving but almost half the occupants scrambled to their feet and turned to face her. She frowned as she identified all the individuals in the group.

Seated on the ground and gaping at her in surprise were the orange-haired ryoka who had stopped the Soukyoku blade and destroyed its arbour, the bespectacled Quincy, the redhead with the remarkable healing magic, the big youth with superhuman strength and the brawny youngest son of the Shiba clan. Standing at attention and eyeing her with trepidation were four shinigami, Abarai Renji, Kuchiki Rukia, Yamada Hanatarou and Ikkanzaka Jidanbou.

"Can we help you, Captain Soi Fong?" asked Abarai uneasily, as he stepped forward and to the front of the Kuchiki girl, in a subtly protective move. The heavily tattooed man shot glances at the surrounding trees, one hand nervously fingering the hilt of his sheathed zanpakutou, as if expecting secret agents to pop out and attack them at any moment. Behind him, the adopted daughter of the Kuchiki clan bore a serious expression on her heart-shaped face and though she gave the impression that she would not put up a fight, her slight frame was stiff with tension. On either side of her, despite their great difference in size, the immense gate guardian and the puny healer wore identical expressions of apprehension.

She understood their anxiety. As head of the Covert Operations Division, she was responsible for arresting and punishing criminals. Though Kuchiki Rukia had a stay of execution, she still faced disciplinary action for the unauthorised transfer of powers to a human. The other three shinigami were also pending disciplinary actions for disobeying orders and for assisting the ryoka in escaping arrest, as well as aiding them in their attempts to break out a convicted criminal. In addition, though the ryoka were unlikely to be levelled with any charges, they were still illegal immigrants and thus allowed to remain in Soul Society only under sufferance.

What was this? A hideout for fugitives? At any other time, she would have escorted them all back to Seireitei, but today she had more important matters to settle.

"I'm looking for…" Soi Fong trailed off as she sensed a familiar presence approaching the glade. Sure enough, two women strolled into the open area, dark heads bent close in deep discussion. They paused and looked up, aware that they had interrupted a confrontation. Soi Fong's heart skipped a beat as her eyes met wide golden ones. However, her former commander did not offer any other sign of acknowledgement.

Noting the impassive expression on her companion's face, Shiba Kuukaku paced towards the diminutive captain and greeted with an easy smile, "Yo, Soi Fong. It's been a while, heh?"

After a moment's hesitation, Soi Fong bent in a deep formal bow, her back straight and parallel to the ground.

"Pray forgive this intrusion, Shiba-dono. Soi Fong requests an audience with Yoruichi-sama."

She could feel the stares of all present boring into the back of her bowed head. Even though it was mortifying to let them witness her vulnerability, she could not allow herself to care about that. All that mattered was to be granted some time alone with her mistress.

"Come on kids, let's get out of here. There're some new fireworks that I'm dying to test. You're not afraid of a few explosions are you? At the most, you'll just lose a couple of limbs," Lady Shiba declared loudly, laughing maniacally at her last remark and waving her stump of an arm around.

She could imagine them blanching at the statement but they still meekly filed out of the glade. Lady Shiba was not a person one could easily defy. Once they were alone, Soi Fong slowly straightened. Yoruichi-sama was standing in the same position, arms across her chest, gazing at her with hooded eyes.

"I suppose you're here seeking an explanation," the dark woman sighed, "Look, Soi Fong…"

"No, Yoruichi-sama," the captain replied calmly, as she gracefully fell to her knees.

"I'm here to ask for your forgiveness."

"Soi Fong…" said the former commander in alarm.

"Yoruichi-sama," the kneeling woman continued softly, "I made a promise, didn't I, to always protect you. But I broke that promise."

Shaking her head in despair, Soi Fong felt her chest constrict painfully.

"I met someone recently, an acquaintance I knew a long time ago, a ghost from the past. She said something that made me realise I've been blaming the wrong person all this time."

Raising silver eyes brimming with unshed tears, the captain said brokenly, "I sought you out, didn't I? I made you my life's goal. I worshipped you and desperately hunted for your recognition. And you were kind and generous. You answered my plea for attention, showered me with affection and approval."

The tears spilled over and drenched Soi Fong's stricken face.

"But you had weightier concerns, didn't you? Concerns you could not share and you gave up your clan, your division, your reputation, all in a perilous bid to fight against an evil that no one else could see. And all I could do was blame you."

Suppressed sobs shook the slight frame kneeling on the ground.

"I know now that you owed me nothing. In fact, I should have been the one to chase after you. If I had truly believed in you, I would have followed you regardless of the circumstances, found a way to discover your whereabouts. As your servant and bodyguard, it was my duty and privilege to protect you at all cost. I should not have allowed you to cast me aside. Instead, because of my wretched insecurity, I pushed all the blame to you."

Shoulders slumped as the petite woman continued in a subdued voice.

"As I am, I know that I would be of no use to you if I followed you back to the living world now. And I know that is where you'll want to be. The help of your…allies there is needed to deal with Aizen. The Central Forty Six Chambers have to be re-established and the Gotei Thirteen is in shambles right now, having lost three captains at once. The Fifth Division is in particular trouble with their vice-captain still incapacitated. At this time, I cannot leave both the Second Division and the Covert Operations Division leaderless."

Determination stole over the captain's raised face.

"But I believe that should the need arise, you'll turn to me for help or advice. To that end, I will prepare myself, extend my capabilities and strength, so that when the time comes, I will be ready to give you whatever you might require of me."

Soi Fong searched her mistress's shocked countenance.

"Since my earliest memories, there has never been a moment when I was not aware that it was my destiny to follow you. My clan has been serving yours since time immemorial and it was my sacred duty to continue the tradition. I had taken it as a given, this one constant in my life. But I realise now that if by an accident of fate, I had not been born into my clan, then I might not have known of you, might not have desired to serve you, might not have driven myself to be a shinigami and to join the Executive Militia. And my soul cowers at the image of how barren my life would have been without you."

Unguarded silver eyes held nothing back, all pride and dignity stripped away.

"Yoruichi-sama, it is my birthright to serve you and no one can take that away from me. If you choose to ignore me, I will stay in the shadows and be vigilant. If you choose to acknowledge me, I will step forward and fight by your side. I would never presume to force your hand, but it is not beneath me to beg. Please, Yoruichi-sama, I need no explanation for your decisions, all I ask is that you not shut me out of your life."

It seemed an eternity before the tall woman stepped forward to stand right before the distraught captain. A dark hand rested tenderly on top of the bowed head.

"It's enough, Soi Fong," murmured her mistress, "You've struggled enough. You've done well. Rest easy now, my little bee."

A rush of intense gratitude swept through the kneeling woman. She could feel her heart, wrung taut by the onslaught of self-recriminations, slowly expanding until it was close to bursting. Her spirits soared in relief and happiness, as her body surrendered to an outpouring of joy in a fresh storm of tears. Yoruichi-sama stood patiently before her, a bastion of silent support as Soi Fong rode out the soul-cleansing weeping. Finally, the exhausted supplicant roused herself.

"Yoruichi-sama, I have a request," ventured a tremulous voice.

"Hmm?" the older woman asked wordlessly, absently stroking the fine black strands beneath her fingers.

"Can I stay here tonight?" was the whispered question.

"Sure," Yoruichi-sama acquiesced in a bemused tone, "I don't think Kuukaku will mind another guest."

Untangling her fingers from the other woman's hair, the dark lady flopped onto the ground, lying indolently on her back, hands behind her head and eyes closed. Soi Fong gazed askance at the slumbering form of her former commander sprawled before her, seemingly fast asleep just a few feet away from where she was kneeling. A golden eye opened and she felt herself blush furiously. She had been caught staring.

"Come," uttered her mistress in a tone that brooked no argument.

The heat in her cheeks burned and extended down her neck. Dipping her head shyly, the small woman crawled to Yoruichi-sama's side and laid stiffly on the ground, her face towards the sky. Her eyes followed the cherry blossoms that floated in the slight breeze and her muscles slowly relaxed as the tension drained from her body. Her eyelids grew heavy. She felt the gentle pressure of slender fingers ruffling through her hair. A blissful smile curled her lips as she drifted off to sleep.

The End.

Afterword:

Whew, this ended up quite a bit longer than I had anticipated. Wished that the Bleach series could have shown more of these two, but got tired of waiting and so I guess I decided to fill in the blanks myself. I want to thank the production teams of both the Bleach anime and manga, for creating such engaging characters and for handling their relationships with admirable finesse. Well, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed my take on how their reunion unfolded.

PS. There is a timeline discrepancy in the story, I do not intend to correct it because I am too lazy :( To those who discover it, I apologise for not paying enough attention to such details. To those who are not bothered by it, more power to you :)


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